


Stumbled beginnings

by boundtoramble



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-06 11:38:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4220250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boundtoramble/pseuds/boundtoramble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A meet-cute where Courfeyrac slips on an egg slice after being distracted by an extremely handsome bearded nurse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stumbled beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Because my life is an actual sitcom, this happened to me while I was in London. My natural response was to write a silly ficlet about what was quite possibly the most embarrassing moment of my life. Sadly, I didn't get a phone number out of it. :c

Courfeyrac is minding his own business when he sees the most gorgeous human being in the world. Their head is shaved from the sides, the upper parts are styled backwards in an effortless yet smart wave, and they're sporting a frankly magnificent beard. The black T-shirt clings in the exact right places and reveals a detailed tattoo sleeve. They're also wearing denim shorts that are extremely flattering and Courfeyrac... Well, Courfeyrac doesn't exactly _swoon_ but his eyes keep following Tall, Dark and Handsome (yes, he's aware it's an awful, awful cliché but it's the first thing that pops into his head and it sticks) even after they've passed each other on the street. And that, incidentally, is why he doesn't notice the egg slice on the ground until it's too late.

His shoe slips and the moment seems to go on forever. Courfeyrac's falling, trying to gain new momentum with a muttered curse but his legs betray him and he finds himself nearly faceplanting to the pavement. His brain takes a while to catch on and when that happens, he's already on the ground. For a split second, he contemplates the prospects of the earth opening up and swallowing him whole or maybe just lying there forever but in the end, he pushes himself up on his knees, hoping to walk away with no one even noticing.

Of course, he's not that lucky. Tall, Dark and Handsome is there when he looks up, and they're leaning down and looking at him with pure concern in their eyes. "Are you alright there?"

Courfeyrac isn't sure whether he wants to laugh or cry because their voice is low and gentle, and it fits them perfectly. He's usually more eloquent than this but apparently he's absolutely incapable of anything but putting his foot in his mouth around this fine creature.

"Yeah, I... I'm fine, no worries. But what happened, is that-- Is that an egg slice? Why's there an egg on the ground, I..."

Tall, Dark and Handsome looks even more concerned now and Courfeyrac is biting on his lip so hard he's sure it'll draw blood any moment now. "Are you sure you're alright? It doesn't hurt anywhere? That was quite a fall."

He nods weakly, "I'm alright, it probably looked worse than it really was. Thank you, anyway, uh...?"

"Combeferre," Tall, Dark and Handsome provides and smiles. It looks lovely on them, Courfeyrac thinks absently, carefully filing it away before he can make even more of a fool of himself.

"Well, thank you, Combeferre. I'm Courfeyrac, your friendly neighbourhood klutz and a walking human disaster."

That draws a chuckle out of Combeferre and Courfeyrac is unabashedly proud of himself. He tucks a dark stray curl behind his ear and notices Combeferre's eyes following his hand's movement before realising they've been caught and quickly looking away. Courfeyrac hopes, oh how he hopes, that he's not reading too much into it. He vaguely registers that they're still crouching on the ground and he brings that up, Combeferre immediately reaching to steady him when he almost stumbles again. Courfeyrac feels the heat rising to his cheeks but Combeferre is nothing short of a gentleman; they offer to take Courfeyrac to a hospital for a check-up but Courfeyrac waves them off all the same.

Combeferre pulls a notebook out of his backpack (Courfeyrac has to physically restrain himself from commenting on how _adorable_ it is because while he's free with his compliments, he isn't entirely sure it'd be appropriate in this case; after all, they've only just met and he knows next to nothing about them), tears off a page and scribbles down their phone number, telling him to text or call if anything comes up because they're a nurse.

Courfeyrac stares at the phone number in his hand for a good while even after Combeferre's gone. He still isn't sure what exactly just happened so he decides to treat himself to coffee before going home. He folds the paper and slips it into his pocket, shaking his head when he starts walking because everything feels sort of surreal right now. He ends up at a small coffee shop he and Marius sometimes frequent, just off the street his flat's on, and breaks into hysterical giggles after sitting down. There's only a handful of other customers but he gets a few strange looks and Éponine, one of the baristas, comes over.

"You're acting weirder than usual. Is everything alright?" she asks and Courfeyrac pulls the piece of paper out of his pocket after he's recovered from another fit of giggles. He presents it to Éponine who eyes it warily. "What's this?"

"I may or may not have charmed a drop dead gorgeous nurse by slipping on an egg slice on the street and babbling nonsense at them."

Éponine looks at him and blinks. She turns, slowly, and throws her hands in the air in defeat.


End file.
